– Abby Botten

I am beyond thrilled and blessed that I will be at my third ELCA Youth Gathering, this time as an emcee. Being an emcee for this summer’s Gathering brings a whole new excitement to my experiences, and most importantly, to my faith journey. I was so excited to see this year’s theme “This Changes Everything,” because it is a big testimony to the amazing things God does in my life daily. 

Sometimes God works in the most unexpected ways. I did not understand what it meant to have a truly intentional relationship with Christ and how much Christ does for me until this past summer. I ran weekly mission trips in St. Louis with an organization where I got to hang out with 70 high school students each week. This past summer was the most difficult experience I have had thus far in my life, yet it was the most rewarding time because of the Lord’s work in it. Having a relationship with God changes everything, because God becomes our strength, our peace, and our encouragement through the easy and difficult times. God changes everything because God draws us near and places us in some weird situations so we can learn and grow in the love God has for us.

I am excited to be an emcee at the Gathering because this role is a little outside my comfort zone, but that is the best part! We grow SO much as Christians by leaving our comfort zone and putting full trust in the Lord; that God will support us wherever we are, and ultimately, trust that God wants us in that position as well. I cannot wait to walk alongside all of you throughout the week and experience the goodness God has to bring us.  

Abby Botten is a senior at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. In her free time you can find her leading youth group, being active, drinking lots of Caribou Coffee, and pretending she is a better dancer/singer than she really is.

Gathering interviews continue with Joy Emenyonu. Joy attended the 2015 Gathering in Detroit; that experience led her to apply to be one of the Gathering emcees. Get to know Joy before you see her at Mass Gathering.

Tell the Gathering blog readers a little bit about yourself.
Like most people my age, school consumed my life. I always had my hands full with extracurriculars and a rigorous academic schedule. This work has simultaneously destroyed my mental health and built me up as a person I am proud to be today.

Where do you see God most active in your life?
I attribute my academic success to God and God alone. I wouldn’t be here getting ready to take on my bright future if I hadn’t turned to God every step of the way.

What is your favorite thing about your church/ faith community?
My youth group, the place where my relationship with God first took place is probably my favorite thing about my community. It’s a group of beautiful kids with different personalities and aspirations who all just want a deeper understanding of God. It is in my youth group that I expanded my faith and learned about the true love of God.

What are you most excited about being a Gathering emcee?
I originally applied to be an emcee because I had a great experience in Detroit. I learned so much and it was practically life-changing. I had an amazing time and I knew that participating in the Gathering would only further my enjoyment

The theme for the Gathering is “This Changes Everything.” How does this theme and these words connect with you as a member of the church?
The theme “This Changes Everything” to me means that even with the slightest understanding of God’s love, a whole new world of possibilities is opened. With God’s love, there are no boundaries, no borders, no room for prejudice, and no room for racism. Anyone can do anything and simply understanding that changes everything. 

What is your biggest hope for you when you come home from the Gathering?
I hope that this Gathering will allow me to meet more empowering people. People whose faith is stronger than mine in every sense and who I can learn from and aspire to be like. 

With the theme “This Changes Everything” and your hopes and expectations for the Gathering, what is your biggest hope for your church/ faith community when you return from Houston?
I hope that my faith community can grow in wisdom and understanding from this great experience and that we grow closer because of it. 

– Joshua Serrano

My favorite story from scripture is the disciples walking to Emmaus. It was through traveling and breaking bread together that Jesus showed up and is revealed to them.  In my mind, great stories involve taking a long journey that bring about transformation. For instance, I love the movies Lord of the Rings, Stand By Me, and Wild because the principal actors in each movie travel to a destination and are transformed along the way.

So it is with our ELCA Youth Gathering.

We travel with young energetic high school students who are sharing their lives with each other and hoping meet Jesus on the way. God moves among them because they must band together and learn how to be a supportive community to each other and serve the world at the same time. Through the miles of walking we do, the learning, the service, and the worship, we have Jesus in our midst calling us to see others as he sees them.

I’ve only attended one Gathering and the groups of kids I attended with had good relationships with each other.  My hopefulness tells me that the kids that I’m bringing this time will see Jesus in a new way and seek to bring God’s Kingdom to earth in the communities in which they are involved.

I’m excited that youth gather together and realize that the community of Lutherans they are part of is not as small as they might think. My favorite thing about the community of God is our willingness to travel with youth on their journeys of faith and grow with them as we travel to Houston this summer.

Rev. Joshua Serrano serves Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in San Carlos, CA (South of San Francisco). He’s loves to read, practice Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and talk to people about their faith.  Two kids keep him occupied all the time and continue to teach him to shut up and love life.